The host and Trent Singer break down the second wild Minnesota Timberwolves trade in the last four days. Why is LaMelo Ball a "perfect fit" in the backcourt with Anthony Edwards, and why was the team willing to let Reid, one of the most popular players in team history, walk out the door? The two hosts also discuss Sioux Falls' chances of beating five larger cities for the NCAA men's tourney play-in games and Augustana's new softball coach.

First Karl-Anthony Towns two years ago.

Now, Julius Randle.

Anthony Edwards again loses his No. 2, or Robin to his Batman, in a trade the Minnesota Timberwolves clearly deemed necessary to strengthen their chances of an NBA title. Or at least reaching the NBA FInals.

Randle's undeniably lousy NBA Playoffs performance, made worse by reports of his moodiness that did not go over well with coaches and teammates, led general manager Tim Connely to deal the 31-year-old three-time All-Star power forward — the main piece of the trade two years ago that sent KAT to the Knicks — to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade with the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

If you believe some NBA circles, ANT is not happy in Minnesota because of these moves. Should we believe that ANT may be itching to leave Minneapolis?

As importantly, did the Wolves get better by discarding Randle, which opened room in the bank to sign guard Ayo Dosumnu to a five-year deal worth $122 million, or $22.5M per year?

This all happened before the NBA Draft, which started on Tuesday. The Wolves gave up their first round pick (No. 28) as part of the deal.

Ahead of Wednesday's second round, in which Minnesota will select the No. 33 pick, Happy Hour sat down with resident Timberwolves analyst and pulls-no-punches die-hard fan Chris Johnson, the University of Sioux Falls men's basketball coach and Twin Cities native.

The moves, ANT's happiness, the decision to let Nickeil Alexander-Walker walk last summer, the team's depth, the lack of a true point guard (at the moment)... all factor into the Timberwolves' chances of emerging again as a Western Conference and NBA Finals contender.

So... are they? Johnson digs in.

Mayor's Race still up in the air

You think two points is a narrow margin of victory and defeat in a football or basketball game?

Well, 40-38 or 116-114 has nothing on 18,279 to 18,277.

That's the vote tally in favor of Christine Erickson from Tuesday's mayoral runoff election in Sioux Falls. By percentages, it was a 49.91 to 49.91 percent tie.

There will be a recount. We won't know who will be the city's next mayor for at least a couple of weeks.

Sioux Falls Live editor Patrick Lalley has covered political races and elections in Sioux Falls and South Dakota for over 30 years and has tirelessly covered this particular campaign.

Lalley sat down with the host at Orion Pub to make sense of the results, including how Smith narrowed the gap between him and Erickson by 9 percent from the initial election three weeks ago.

In general, these "postgame" conversations all ask and answer the question, "What does this all mean?"

Stocking stuffer: What Lalley makes of the three city council seats won on Tuesday?

You think two points is a narrow margin of victory and defeat in a football or basketball game?

Well, 40-38 or 116-114 has nothing on 18,279 to 18,277.

That's the vote tally in favor of Christine Erickson from Tuesday's mayoral runoff election in Sioux Falls. By percentages, it was a 49.91 to 49.91 percent tie.

There will be a recount. We won't know who will be the city's next mayor for at least a couple of weeks.

Sioux Falls Live editor Patrick Lalley has covered political races and elections in Sioux Falls and South Dakota for over 30 years and has tirelessly covered this particular campaign.

Lalley sat down with the host at Orion Pub to make sense of the results, including how Smith narrowed the gap between him and Erickson by 9 percent from the initial election three weeks ago.

In general, these "postgame" conversations all ask and answer the question, "What does this all mean?"

Stocking stuffer: What Lalley makes of the three city council seats won on Tuesday?

First Karl-Anthony Towns two years ago.

Now, Julius Randle.

Anthony Edwards again loses his No. 2, or Robin to his Batman, in a trade the Minnesota Timberwolves clearly deemed necessary to strengthen their chances of an NBA title. Or at least reaching the NBA FInals.

Randle's undeniably lousy NBA Playoffs performance, made worse by reports of his moodiness that did not go over well with coaches and teammates, led general manager Tim Connely to deal the 31-year-old three-time All-Star power forward — the main piece of the trade two years ago that sent KAT to the Knicks — to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade with the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

If you believe some NBA circles, ANT is not happy in Minnesota because of these moves. Should we believe that ANT may be itching to leave Minneapolis?

As importantly, did the Wolves get better by discarding Randle, which opened room in the bank to sign guard Ayo Dosumnu to a five-year deal worth $122 million, or $22.5M per year?

This all happened before the NBA Draft, which started on Tuesday. The Wolves gave up their first round pick (No. 28) as part of the deal.

Ahead of Wednesday's second round, in which Minnesota will select the No. 33 pick, Happy Hour sat down with resident Timberwolves analyst and pulls-no-punches die-hard fan Chris Johnson, the University of Sioux Falls men's basketball coach and Twin Cities native.

The moves, ANT's happiness, the decision to let Nickeil Alexander-Walker walk last summer, the team's depth, the lack of a true point guard (at the moment)... all factor into the Timberwolves' chances of emerging again as a Western Conference and NBA Finals contender.

So... are they? Johnson digs in.

NCAA 5-for-5 eligibility rule passes. Chase Mason survives it. Which prominent Jacks & Yotes don't?

From June 6, 2025: Happy Hour's first interview with veteran sports writer, columnist, and now book author Stu Whitney:

Stu Whitney's high school football team celebrated a big win by gleefully ripping to shreds a newspaper column he wrote claiming they weren't worthy of the playoffs.

He ended up being right.

The head football coach at Michigan State invited Stu into his office to berate him at the top of his lungs and call him every nasty name you could imagine after he unveiled some unsavory information about the program.

But George Perles didn't deny his reporting.

The Sioux Falls Stampede coach literally got in his face, point blank, after a game to intimidate him after a column about how that coach should be fired.

And he eventually was.

Stu Whitney's words — in his own words, at times caustic and controversial — had a uniquely strong and memorable impact on those he wrote about as a sportswriter, at-large columnist, investigative journalist, and author of a fictional memoir called "The Covid Chronicles" that tackled the way leaders in Sioux Falls and South Dakota handled the pandemic.

Now, "SuFu Stu" is embarking on a second novel, this time a non-fiction about World War II aviator and former Washington High, Augustana, USD, and O'Gorman coach Bob Burns. He also has another script in the about South Dakota and its people, one that won't be in book form, a script he had yet to announce...

...until now, in a 90-minute sit-down with Happy Host John Gaskins from Gateway Lounge. Stu looks back on his 35-years in Sioux Falls — a stretch piled full of colorful characters, stories, columns, confrontations, and, ultimately, massive critical acclaim from readers — whether they liked him or not.